An audience member goes to see the movie The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death, at a theater in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, on October 1, 2024. Photo: VCG

What is hope or happiness for a soldier at war? For Li Moyin, one of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (CPVA) soldiers during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), it could have been the key to his homeor a small piece of candy. His moving story and that of his family were depicted in the hit film The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death.

As the biggest winner of the National Day holiday film season, The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death, the second franchise of The Volunteers trilogy, grossed 895 million yuan ($127 million) as of noon Thursday, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan. The movie brings to life a critical moment in the fifth campaign of the war, when the 63rd Army of CPVA fought valiantly despite overwhelming odds.

In a recent interview with the Global Times, the lead actor, Xin Baiqing, who portrayed Li Moyin shared behind-the-scenes stories and his personal reflections on the film. 

Cried during filming

In the film, Li Moyin is a seasoned Red Army soldier who once fought in the Long March, and serves as a staff officer in the military commission's operations department. He is among the first to be dispatched to the Korean battlefield. 

Xin revealed that initially, director Chen Kaige had approached him for a different role. However, after their meeting, Xin's portrayal of the character, which embodies both gentleness and audacity, resonated with the director. 

Reflecting on his experience after filming, Xin said that "understanding" and "experiencing" are two different things. This journey gave him a new, personal insight into the war, as he deeply felt the hardships and challenges faced by the CPVA soldiers. 

He recalled that at the filming base in November, the extreme cold and biting wind almost numbed him while dressed in summer wear. 

"I forget how cold it was that day, but it felt uninhabitable. My ears ached from the cold, and as soon as I took my hands out to cover my ears, my hands too became numb and lost sensation." 

After finishing that scene and warming up in a tent, Xin suddenly cried, "I thought of the CPVA, freezing without tents for warmth, and going to battle without even having enough to eat."

Promotional material of The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death Photo: Courtesy of China Film Group Corporation

The key bears the safety of home and country

"After the war, when we return to our country, our family of three [father, son, and daughter] will be together properly." In the film, the familial relationship of the "Li family" is significantly highlighted, with the director summarizing it as "a microcosm of a Chinese family that encompasses all Chinese emotions." 

Compared to the first installment, The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death delves deeper into the delicate personal emotions of the soldiers. Xin shared.

 "This installment fully displays the delicate and sincere emotions of a family of three."

In the film, Li Moyin, a staff officer with extensive combat experience, and his son Li Xiang (played by actor Zhu Yilong), who is also a soldier, go to the war without hesitation. 

His daughter, Li Xiao, a fearless English translator, also appears on the battlefield... Amid the scenes of flying bullets and bombs, the heartwarming moments of family reunions moved countless moviegoers to tears. 

Actor Zhu once stated in a screening ceremony that the scene of parting with his screen father Li Moyin amid the smoke of gunfire was particularly unforgettable. 

Regarding his children, Li Moyin's heart is filled with reluctance, yet he still supports their decisions. 

"He has so much reluctance, but the sacrifice of a small family is for the reunion of more families," Xin said.

"Why do we fight?" Beyond the grand narrative of the battlefield, the film also presents many small emotional details of the characters. 

Both father Li Moyin and daughter Li Xiao carry a key. Li Xiao once said, "This is the key to my home; the other one is in my father's hands, and he is in North Korea." 

In the interview, Xin introduced the key that Li Moyin always carried, which actually carries the concern and longing for the safety and reunion of home and country. 

"The greatest wish is to return home after the war; it is the sentiment of home and country that supports the soldiers on the battlefield."

A microcosm of millions of soldiers

"The duty of a soldier is to stand up in times of national crisis." Regarding Li Moyin's "great righteousness," Xin said, "all the soldiers who fought in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea were righteous." Through this character, Xin hopes to showcase the greatness and resilience of the CPVA soldiers.

Although the character of Li Moyin does not have a historical prototype, Xin believes that "fiction gives the character more freedom; he can appear anywhere on the battlefield and is a microcosm of millions of CPVA soldiers." 

As the "thread" of the film, Li Moyin leads everyone into each battle from his perspective. 

Xin hopes that through The Volunteers series, more viewers will understand the history of the war and remember the nameless heroes who gave everything for their country. 

"This battle is significant to our country. We must not forget history and should pay our sincerest respects to the CPVA soldiers," Xin said.